Here
are 10 suggestions to help lower premiums and keep your teenager's license free
of violations:

1. Help your teen learn the laws and follow them to the letter. By far, the best
way to lower car insurance costs for teens is for them to keep their driving
record clean. Make safe driving a family project. In some states, restrictions
apply to new drivers. Parents should know what the laws are and insist that
their sons and daughters follow them.

2. Set a good example. Do you break the speed limit and tailgate? Do you yell at
other drivers when you're behind the wheel? If you do these things, how can you
expect your children to act differently? Start watching your own driving long
before they get their license and you'll have a much easier time convincing them
to be safe drivers. Remember, actions speak louder than words.

3. Put your teenager on your policy. Rather than setting up an independent
policy for your teen driver, put them on your auto insurance policy as an
additional driver. In this way, all the discounts applied to your policies will
be passed on to them.

4. Pay your teenager to get good grades. Here's a creative tip â€” find out how
much you save if your teenager gets a good grade point average and pass it on to
them. Usually, having a 3.0 or higher GPA will reduce your car insurance premium
by 10 percent. Figure out exactly how much this saves you and give that money to
your teenager. This accomplishes two things. First, it provides a direct reward
for academic performance. Secondly, it motivates them to continue getting good
grades.

5. Enroll them in driver education courses. Discounts are available for teens
who take recognized driving classes. But call your car insurance company to find
out which schools are covered before paying big bucks.

6. Steer clear of sports cars. Don't try to live vicariously through your
teenager by giving them the hot car you couldn't get in high school. Getting
your teenager a safe car to drive, with the latest safety equipment, will lower
your premiums. Not only will you save money on car insurance, but fast driving
will be less of a temptation.

7. Get their support. Don't assume that your teenager wants to vacuum clean your
wallet. Ask them for help cutting costs and point out that you will share in the
savings (see rule #4). Tell them how much car insurance costs and show them how
this fits into the family budget. If nothing else, you will score points for
treating them as adults.

8. Talk to your kids about drugs and alcohol. This is a tough subject to broach
with teenagers, who think they have everything under control. But the
consequences of saying nothing can be catastrophic. Take the time to lay down
some guidelines in this important area.

9. Take traffic school to beat tickets. Once a ticket is on your teen's license,
it takes months to get the violation removed. Instead, encourage them to take
traffic school if the judge allows it. A day spent thinking about the
consequences of unsafe driving can bring rewards for years to come.

10. Ride with your teenager. Your teenager was a safe driver last year when he
or she got a license. But what's happened since then? Let your son or daughter
take the wheel while you sit back and relax in the passenger seat. If you see
them doing something that breaks rules or seems unsafe, point this out in a
diplomatic way. If they are doing a good job driving, praise them for their
efforts.

If you follow the above suggestions, you will find that you can make it through
the teenage years safely and without paying an arm and a leg for car
insurance. It just takes cooperation and understanding from both sides of the
generation gap.